Latest News

ANATOMIST DR. GUNTHER VON HAGENS RESPONDS TO REPORT OF COLLABORATION WITH LADY GAGA:

Dr. Gunther von Hagens is delighted to learn of singer Lady Gaga’s interest in plastination and has expressed desire to create the set and backdrop for her latest concert production with her. The Plastinator has collaborated with thought leaders and innovators in various fields, including culinarian and health educator, Jamie Oliver and the makers of the James Bond film, Casino Royale.

“As someone who practices the violin every day, I feel that music is vital to our humanity and fundamental to our wellbeing. The post-mortal plastinated body on the other hand is a momento mori, a reminder that we must all die. To create a convergence of both these profound subjects would be an exciting challenge. To do so with an innovative and risk-taking artist like Lady Gaga would be a perfect meeting of boundary-pushing minds. We both adhere to high aesthetic standards. As the creator of the post-mortal beauty salon, it would be a challenge for me to combine artistic performance with science in the sense of ‘science-art’ together with Lady Gaga,” raves Dr. von Hagens.

Plastinator Gunther von Hagens who has placed the post-mortal body in the public sphere and consciousness with his BODY WORLDS exhibitions welcomes the opportunity to work with Lady Gaga to create a memorable experience for the audience that merges music with the post-mortal body.

A realization form of such a merger would be the revival of plastinates to the dance of death into life, as already demonstrated by plastinated virtual football players, or a dance performance by Lady Gaga, adding the third dimension with her performance by dancing in an area of transparent two-dimensional body slices.

Citing respect for confidentiality, the Institute for Plastination will offer no comments on conversations that have already taken place with the singer or her representatives. True innovation with an attractive outcome can only take place in the shielded atmosphere of privacy.

June 24, 2010
BODY WORLDS Press Office
Peter Kiefer
Rathausstr. 11, 69126 Heidelberg, Germany
Phone: +49-6221-331161
E-mail: p.kiefer@plastination.com

BODY WORLDS Extends Run in Denver through August 15
Denver Museum of Nature & Science will host popular exhibition for additional four weeks

(Denver – June 24, 2010) The Denver Museum of Nature & Science announced today that the popular Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart will continue its run for an additional four weeks, providing extra time to see the dramatic specimens on display this summer. Originally scheduled to close next month, the world-renowned health and anatomy exhibition will remain open through Sunday, August 15.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for both area residents and summer visitors to the Mile High City,” said Dr. Bridget Coughlin, the Museum’s vice president of strategic partnerships and programs and curator of human health. “We are thrilled to announce the extension of BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart. It is a compelling experience that makes us appreciate the complexity and beauty of the human body. The topic of human health is very personal and appeals to a diverse audience, and we continue to be amazed by the impact this exhibition has on our visitors.”

Visitor Comments
The comment books at the exhibition’s exit underscore the personal and powerful reaction from BODY WORLDS visitors in Denver. Sample statements include:
“The magnificence and majesty of the human body is clearly illuminated in this blend of science, prose, and education. Thanks.” (5th grade teacher)
“Amazing. I took anatomy classes before but never anything like this. It was jaw-dropping. BODY WORLDS inspires me to do something in the field of science and medicine.” (19-year-old student)
“Awesome exhibit and very educational for adults and kids alike. Amazing technology.”
“At 65 I learned a lot. Wish this was around 40 years ago. I would have changed my life in many ways. I’m glad it’s here for my grandchildren to learn.”

BODY WORLDS at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The all-new exhibition, BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart, reveals—through the lenses of anatomy, cardiology, psychology and culture—how the heart nourishes, regulates and sustains life. The exhibition gives Museum visitors profound insight into the human body, health and disease, and the intricate world of the cardiovascular system and awes visitors with more than 200 human specimens, including whole-body plastinates, organs and translucent body slices.

BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart runs through August 15, 2010. The exhibition is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with extended hours to 9 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and to 6 p.m. on Sundays. General visitors pay $25.50 for adults, $16 for children/students (age 3-18 or with a student ID) and $19 for seniors (age 65+); this ticket price includes admission to both the Museum and the BODY WORLDS exhibition. During extended hours, general visitors pay $18 for adults, $13 for children/students and $16 for seniors; this ticket does not include admission to the Museum.

About the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is the Rocky Mountain Region’s leading resource for informal science education. A variety of engaging exhibits, discussions and activities help Museum visitors celebrate and understand the natural wonders of Colorado, Earth and the universe. The Museum is located at 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO, 80205. To learn more about the Museum, check www.dmns.org, or call 303-322-7009. Many of the Museum’s educational programs and exhibits are made possible in part by generous funding from the citizens of the seven-county metro area through the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District.

About Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS
Dr. Gunther von Hagens invented Plastination in 1977, in an effort to improve the education of medical students. He created the BODY WORLDS exhibitions to bring anatomy to the public. Since 1995, 30 million people in Asia, Europe and North America have visited the BODY WORLDS exhibitions. The organs and whole-body plastinates were derived from generous body donors, individuals who designated that upon their death their bodies could be used for educational purposes in the BODY WORLDS exhibitions. More than 10,000 donors have bequeathed their bodies to Dr. von Hagens’ Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany. For more information on BODY WORLDS, please visit www.bodyworlds.com.

For more information, please contact
Heather Hope, APR
Public Relations Manager
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
303-370-8372
heather.hope@dmns.org

Rhiannon Hendrickson
Communications Manager BODY WORLDS
303-333-1138
r.hendrickson@bw.plastination.com

All new BODY WORLDS in Vancouver opening September 16, 2010
Science World to host BODY WORLDS & The Brain at TELUS World of Science

Vancouver, BC—Science World is excited to announce its presentation of Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS & The Brain starting September 16, 2010. This exhibition, all-new to Vancouver, contains a special feature that unravels the mystery of the mind and secret world of the brain.

“Our team is ecstatic to be hosting BODY WORLDS again,” says Bryan Tisdall, Science World’s president and CEO. “We’re excited to see all the compelling new exhibits in this collection and to offer British Columbians a rare opportunity to see the human body in a way that only BODY WORLDS can provide. Through this exhibition, as with everything we do, we want to inspire British Columbians and raise awareness of how science and technology impacts our lives and wellbeing.”

In this latest exhibition by anatomist Dr. Gunther von Hagens, the brain takes centre stage, giving us a unique view of how this vital organ and animating force transforms itself continually throughout our lives. This Vancouver premiere features recent findings in neuroscience, including information on brain development, function, disease, disorders and performance. '

Science World is pleased to have support and involvement from TRUIMF, the UBC Brain Research Centre, and MDS Nordion in this exhibition.  “The opportunity to profile related research in our community is a real bonus” says Tisdall.

Two-hundred real body specimens, including full-body plastinates, refined portrait photography and multimedia make up this acclaimed study in anatomy and neuroscience. Thirty million visitors in more than 50 cities worldwide have seen BODY WORLDS since its debut in 1995.

To ensure the best experience possible, visitors will purchase timed tickets from Science World, either by phone at 604-443-7500 or online at scienceworld.ca. Tickets may be purchased starting July 15.

For Information on Science World’s BODY WORLDS & The Brain exhibition at TELUS World of Science, visit scienceworld.ca/bodyworlds. To find out more about BODY WORLDS, visit bodyworlds.com

About Science World
Science World, a non-profit organization, stimulates positive attitudes towards science and technology in a fun interactive environment, promoting the development of a knowledge-based society in BC.

About Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS
Dr. Gunther von Hagens invented the Plastination technique in 1977, in an effort to improve the education of medical students. He created the BODY WORLDS exhibitions to bring anatomy to the public. Since 1995, more than 30 million people in Asia, Europe and North America have visited the various BODY WORLDS exhibitions.

The organs and whole-body plastinates were derived from generous body donors, individuals who designated that upon their death their bodies could be used for educational purposes in the BODY WORLDS exhibitions. More than 10,000 donors have bequeathed their bodies to Dr. von Hagens' Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany. There are currently more than eighty Canadian body donors to the Institute for Plastination.

Lawsuit in China Against Anatomist, Gunther von Hagens Questions American News Gathering, Confuses Civil Law

HEIDELBERG, Germany, April 1--The following is being released by Institute for Plastination.

A lawsuit filed in mainland China against anatomist, Dr. Gunther von Hagens' business interests there is confounding legal and media analysts familiar with the convoluted case. The civil suit was filed by Sui Hongjin, a competitor of von Hagens and best known as a supplier of Chinese human specimens for cadaver displays. Hongjin charges von Hagens with "reputation infringement" resulting from a 2008 investigative report by ABC TV's Chief Investigative Correspondent, Brian Ross on the source of bodies used in exhibitions of human remains.

The lawsuit holds the German anatomist's Chinese company culpable for the contents of the report. "Dr. von Hagens is being sued for an investigation by a reputable American media outlet and award-winning journalist," said Gail Vida Hamburg, Director of Science Communications for the Institute for Plastination. "We understand Chaos Theory's premise that the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil sets off a tornado in Texas, but this is absurd," she said.

It is an astounding case that questions European case law, the heart of US Constitutional law, and business and international law. It confuses the sovereignty and culpability of European, Chinese and American-based companies, by holding Dr. von Hagens' company in China responsible for the journalism investigation of a US media outlet. "It applies Chinese rules of news censorship to American newsgathering, reporting, and free speech, treating the Fourth Estate and First Amendment as quaint notions," said Hamburg. "We established a gold standard in the field of anatomical exhibitions to work transparently with all media. It may not be the Chinese way but it is the American way, " she said.

Lawyers expect a courtroom drama that embarrasses the Chinese government, if the case proceeds and Dr. von Hagens' legal team call Harry Wu –founder of the Washington D.C based Laogai Research Foundation— as a witness. The most prominent Chinese-American activist lobbying in the halls of Congress on human rights issues in China, Wu is expected to shed light on the issue of labor camps and the exploitation of executed prisoners in China's penal system for commercial use.

About Dr. Gunther von Hagens
Anatomist Dr. von Hagens invented plastination in 1977. He founded the world's only body donation program for plastination in 1982. In 1995 he began touring his BODY WORLDS exhibitions, seen by 30 million people. Currently, he is a visiting professor at New York University's College of Dentistry. He is the Scientific Director for the Institute for Plastination. His Chinese company in Dalian is responsible for producing animal plastinates, now showcased in his latest exhibition, KORPERWELTEN der Tiere.

Director of Communications
Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS
& Institute for Plastination, Heidelberg

Gail Vida Hamburg
g.hamburg(at)plastination.com
Phone: 312 602 5369
Georgina Gomez
g.gomez(at)plastination.com
Phone: 213 291 9572

Institute for Plastination Response to Bishop Fred Henry's Calgary Herald Op-Ed, Feb 22, 2010

The Letters Page Editor, Calgary Herald.

While the Institute for Plastination accepts that Bishop Fred Henry may not be able to reconcile his Christian moral teaching with viewing public anatomical exhibitions (Plasticized bodies raise troubling questions, February 21, 2010), there are several erroneous statements in his article that warrant correction.

Bishop Henry states, "When a Body World exhibit came to Cincinnati, Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk stated: "The public exhibition of plasticized bodies, unclaimed, unidentified, and displayed without reverence is unseemly and inappropriate." and "In Kansas City, Bishop Robert Finn and Archbishop Joseph Naumann complained: "It represents a kind of 'human taxidermy' that degrades the actual people, who, through their bodies, once lived, loved, prayed and died." BODY WORLDS exhibitions have never been presented in Cincinnati or Kansas City. The Bishop is confusing BODY WORLDS with other exhibitions that have no affiliation to Dr. Gunther von Hagens (the anatomist and creator of BODY WORLDS), the Institute for Plastination or the BODY WORLDS exhibitions.

He also questions the ethics and origins of the bodies in the BODY WORLDS exhibitions -- the only public anatomical exhibitions of donor bodies -- by citing reports and investigations about copycat exhibits that use unclaimed and found bodies from China that have nothing to do with BODY WORLDS. For the record, the specimens in BODY WORLDS exhibitions stem from a unique Body Donation Programme established in Heidelberg, Germany in 1982, now managed by the Institute for Plastination. The IfP's body donation programme and protocols have been vetted by bio-ethicists, museum lawyers, and ad hoc ethics committees assembled by numerous museums in the United States. In October 2007, the Journal of Medical Humanities interviewed bio-ethicist Dr. Hans-Martin Sass of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University, Washington D.C, who had traveled to Heidelberg in 2004 to examine the IfP's body donor files on behalf of American museums. Dr. Sass confirmed his earlier findings about donor consent and stated to the premier journal for medical researchers that he was satisfied with the Institute for Plastination's body donation programme. As of January 1st, this program, the source of the bodies in Body Worlds, has more than 11,000 donors worldwide, 10,000 living and 1000 deceased.The Institute for Plastination operates with complete transparency and openly provides comprehensive information about our body donation process and programme to all participating museums.

In addition, readers may be interested to know that anatomical exhibitions originated in churches. During the Renaissance, the visionaries of that period believed that man's life was worthy of study and contemplation and Church leaders viewed anatomy and dissection as a window into God's work. The Catholic Church in Germany has followed the work of Dr. Gunther von Hagens for more than three decades. In 1983, Dr. von Hagens plastinated and preserved the heel bone of St. Hildegard of Bingen, a 10th century beatified mystic revered in Germany, at the request of church leaders. After Pope John Paul's death, there were many discussions in Europe surrounding preserving the body, and especially the heart, of the Pope through Plastination.

Our mission is to educate the public about anatomy, human physiology, health and wellness. We welcome those who wish to visit the exhibition to learn about the complex marvel that is the human body, but respect the right of those who choose not to see it.

Gail Vida Hamburg
Director of Communications
Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS
& Institute for Plastination, Heidelberg
g.hamburg(at)plastination.com

While Jody Silliker's article, "Plastinated Displays of the Human Body" (Feb 2010, Volume 35, Number 2) adequately explains the background of museum anatomical exhibitions, the science of Plastination developed by anatomist and physician, Dr. Gunther von Hagens and his BODY WORLDS exhibitions, and the rise of displays using bodies from questionable sources, it fails to accurately report the highly principled work of Dr. von Hagens.

Silliker states, "Von Hagens ... claims to have a donor roster of over eighty-six hundred Europeans and North Americans ..." and "In the United States and Europe it is common practice for unclaimed, unidentified bodies of indigent people be donated to medical schools. Von Hagens may have obtained some of his "properly documented" bodies in this way." These aspersions and conjectures, about the only practitioner in public anatomy who adheres to the doctrine of legal consent from those whose post-mortal remains are put on public display, are appalling.

From his early years as a researcher at the University of Heidelberg where he invented his science of plastination, Dr. von Hagens made a distinction between clinical anatomy and public anatomy, between the use of bodies without consent common in clinical anatomy for the training of medical students, and the ethical imperative for informed legal consent in the case of plastination and eventually public anatomical exhibitions. The reason for this was very sound. In clinical anatomy, after students have dissected a body and used every part of it for medical study, it is given a ritualized finality either through cremation or burial. In Plastination, there is no such finality. The body is preserved permanently. With the creation of the Body Worlds exhibitions, there were new elements to be taken into consideration: that of public display and the charging of admission to the public to view the plastinated specimens. Dr. von Hagens consulted philosophers, ethicists, religious, and medical professionals to refine his thinking on the importance of informed legal consent. It seemed clear that there was a fundamental human right at stake, a human right that was inviolable--that of an individual's right to choose his or her own post-mortal state. It was quite clear to him that it would be ethically untenable to have a deceased person undergo plastination to be put on display in a museum setting-without his or her informed legal consent.

By 1982, Dr. von Hagens was firmly convinced that informed legal consent had to be the ethical backbone of his science and the organizing principle of plastination. His convictions were so strong that he began the world's first body donation program for plastination. He wrote to more than 3000 people who were registered donors in the University of Heidelberg's anatomy department donor program telling them about his new science and inviting them to become donors in his new body donation program for Plastination. 1600 of them were interested and became the first donors. In 1993, the Institute for Plastination, of which he is now Scientific Director, took over the management of the body donation program.

As of January 1st, this program, the source of the bodies in Body Worlds, has more than 11,000 donors worldwide, 10,000 living and 1000 deceased. There is a cultural and racial dimension to body donation to the Institute's program. Most of the donors are German because that is where the Institute is based, and also because 6 million Germans have seen Body Worlds, with about 2 visitors a day seeking inclusion in the Institute's body donation program. Body donation to science is in keeping with the cultural history, traditions. and sensibilities of Germans. This is not the case with China, the source of unclaimed and found bodies for copycat exhibits, where anatomy and certainly plastination are viewed as a desecration of the post mortal body.

The Institute for Plastination takes pains to honor the last will and testament of donors -who donate their bodies for the scientific knowledge of future generations -- for anonymity. This is a principle as old as anatomy itself. Thus we find Ms. Silliker's suggestion that "a small sign with the person's first name, age, and perhaps hobbies or occupation" identify those who willed their bodies for display, more than troubling. These individuals, it must be pointed out, donate only their post-mortal remains and not their personal lives and biographies, or the privacy of their surviving families.

BODY WORLDS is a scientific collaboration between donors, anatomist, and visitors. Without the important foundation of informed legal consent by the individuals on display, BODY WORLDS would not be a collaboration, but an ethically untenable exercise in commodification and exploitation of the deceased.

Gail Vida Hamburg
Director of Communications
Institute for Plastination, Heidelberg
and BODY WORLDS Exhibiitions
g.hamburg(at)plastination.com

Internationally recognized BODY WORLDS & The Brain exhibition making Canadian debut in Calgary

Calgary, Alberta (February 8, 2010)—TELUS World of Science - Calgary is excited to announce the Canadian premiere of the internationally acclaimed traveling exhibition Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS & The Brain on April 30, 2010. While other Canadian cities have played host to the BODY WORLDS exhibitions, this pioneering exhibit features the latest in neuroscience never before viewed in Canada.

"This is a rare opportunity for visitors to view the complexity of the human body in a very compelling manner," says TELUS World of Science - Calgary President & CEO Jennifer Martin. "It's also a significant milestone for us to host this groundbreaking international exhibition. This exhibit is an ideal starting point for the new direction in which we are taking the organization. As we prepare to move into our new facility in 2011, this exhibition allows us to expand our reach and advance our mandate of public engagement in science in a very exciting and educational way. We look forward to the connection with the community that we anticipate this exhibit will provide - especially in improving our understanding of important health issues that are affecting our society."

The exhibit has more than 200 specimens, including a number of full body plastinates. More than 29 million visitors in 47 cities around the world, including Los Angles, Toronto, London and Tokyo have seen a BODY WORLDS exhibition since its debut in 1995.

BODY WORLDS & The Brain presents the human body and brain in an amazing anatomical and evolutionary way. The exhibition features recent findings in neuroscience, information on brain development and function, brain disease and disorders, and brain performance and improvement. Visitors will purchase timed tickets to allow for an optimal experience. The exhibition will open April 30, 2010 for a limited engagement with advanced public ticket purchases beginning March 13, 2010. More information on extended hours, ticket prices and special events will be announced as we get closer to its arrival.
For further information on the arrival of BODY WORLDS & The Brain at TELUS World of Science - Calgary visit www.calgaryscience.ca. For more information on Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS visit www.bodyworlds.com.

About TELUS World of Science - Calgary: TELUS World of Science - Calgary is a leader in providing interactive learning experiences in science for families from Calgary and Southern Alberta for over 40 years. A registered not-for-profit organization, TELUS World of Science hosts over 265,000 visitors annually in Calgary. As a key entry point influencing careers in science, TELUS World of Science promotes values such as curiosity, commitment, courage and collaboration to help build on the foundation for Canada's future economy.

About Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS: Dr. Gunther von Hagens invented the Plastination technique in 1977, in an effort to improve the education of medical students. He created the BODY WORLDS exhibitions to bring anatomy to the public. Since 1995, over 29 million people in Asia, Europe and North America have visited the various BODY WORLDS exhibitions.
The organs and whole-body plastinates were derived from generous body donors, individuals who designated that upon their death their bodies could be used for educational purposes in the BODY WORLDS exhibitions. More than 10,000 donors have bequeathed their bodies to Dr. von Hagens' Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany, including 1,000 Americans. As of January 2010 there are currently 82 donors in Canada. For more information on BODY WORLDS, please visit www.bodyworlds.com.
Media Contacts:

Jeff Hessel
TELUS World of Science - Calgary
Office: 403.268.8344
Cell: 403.701.4708
jeff.hessel@calgaryscience.ca

Ashleigh McDougall
TELUS World of Science - Calgary
Office: 403.268.8314
Cell: 403.369.3530
ashleigh.mcdougall@calgaryscience.ca

Philadelphia, PA - January 13, 2010 - Due to popular demand, The Franklin Institute announced earlier today that Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS 2 & The Brain, will continue its run for an additional eight weeks, providing Philadelphians with extra time to see the dramatic specimens display. Originally scheduled to close next month, the exhibition will now close on April 18th.

To kick off the second half of the exhibition, BODY WORLDS and sponsor Main Line Health welcomed students from The Health and Life Sciences Academy (a division of Philadelphia Academies, Inc.) at Overbrook High School for a special interactive educational event.

Barry D. Mann, M.D., Chief Academic Officer of Main Line Health, stated, "Main Line Health has been proud to partner with BODY WORLDS in an effort to empower our community to take charge of its health. We've forged amazing connections with these students and being able to show them the power and reality of the body through BODY WORLDS has been a tremendous experience for us all."

President of Philadelphia Academies Inc., Lisa Nutter, was on hand to meet and greet the students and discuss the Health and Life Sciences Academy program. Students had the opportunity to view real human bodies and apply their observations to the study of health topics pertinent in their own lives. "Central to Philadelphia Academies, Inc.'s (PAI) approach is cultivating and maintaining a safety net of adults who play a range of volunteer roles in our direct service model. Today's visit to BODY WORLDS sponsored by Main Line Health is a good example of an activity that engages students and volunteers alike. Field trips that are directly connected to an in-school curriculum make the content real and provide students a vision of what their future can be," said Nutter.
Troy Collins, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Business Development of The Franklin Institute, is thrilled to have the popular exhibition continue its run in Philadelphia. "To have this extended time to further support the health and wellness initiatives that BODY WORLDS represents is a wonderful thing, and it is amazing to see and hear the impact it has on our visitors, " said Collins.

BODY WORLDS is the original and acclaimed exhibition of real human bodies that have been preserved through a process called Plastination. This all-new exhibition with a special feature, The Brain, features specimens never seen in Philadelphia - with a special focus on the power of the brain in the body. Highlights include an exploration of how the brain develops through time-lapsed MRI's of the brain from childhood through adolescence; an exploration of the circulatory system and the brain's influence on the body; how a brain with Alzheimer's looks physically and a deep dissection of the nervous system, and much more.

TICKET INFORMATION
BODY WORLDS 2 & The Brain single ticket pricing at The Franklin Institute follows:
Adults: $27.00; $18.00 (After 5pm - exhibit only)
Seniors: $24.75; $16.75 (After 5pm - exhibit only)
Children ages 4-11: $19.80; $13.75 (After 5pm - exhibit only)

Tickets are timed and dated. Exhibition hours are 9:30 am to 9:00pm daily, with the last entrance at 7:30 pm. Admission before 4:30pm includes museum general admission and a Fels Planetarium show. The evening ticket price begins with the 5:00pm exhibition admission. Advance ticket purchase is recommended by calling 1.877.TFI.TIXS or visiting www.fi.edu. Information on tickets for groups of 15 or more is available at 1.800.285.0684. The exhibit runs through April 18, 2010 at The Franklin Institute.

About Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS
Dr. Gunther von Hagens invented Plastination in 1977 in an effort to improve the education of medical students. He created the BODY WORLDS exhibitions to bring anatomy to the public. The organs and whole-body plastinates in the exhibition derive from people who have, in their lifetime, generously donated their bodies for Plastination, to specifically educate future generations about health. More than 10,000 donors including more than 1,000 Americans have bequeathed their bodies to von Hagens' Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany. More than 29 million people around the world have visited the exhibition. For more information on BODY WORLDS visit www.bodyworlds.com.

About The Franklin Institute
Founded in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is a renowned and innovative leader in the field of science and technology learning, as well as a dynamic center of activity. It is dedicated to creating a passion for science by offering new and exciting access to science and technology in ways that would dazzle and delight its namesake. For more information, please visit www.fi.edu.

Toronto, ON -The record-breaking exhibition BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart will unveil, the worldwide premiere, of a hockey couple, Poetry on Ice and a fully plastinated, 275 KG Brown Bear. The new specimens will be revealed on Friday, January 8 at the Ontario Science Centre.

Dr. Gunther von Hagens, inventor of Plastination and creator of BODY WORLDS said of the hockey plastinates, "I know that hockey is more than a national pastime and a wonderful obsession. I wanted to honor Canada's passion for hockey and created these specimens that would resonate with the Canadian public."

The hockey players, each being 180 and 184 cm tall with a combined weight of 160 kg, are the world's first plastinate duo in which the fragile internal organs, in their preserved state and with natural colors, can be easily admired from all angles. The specimens required 3,700 hours of preparation time- including 2,100 hours for the positioning and fine dissection. They convey "topographic anatomy," the anatomy of spatial relations.

Also premiering is the Brown Bear, one of the largest land-based predators in Eurasia and North America. This specimen is 2.23 metres from head-to-feet and weighs 275 kg. Through the engaging anatomy displays accompanying the specimens, visitors can learn fascinating facts, such as the Brown Bears heart can drop as low as 8 BPM (beat per minute) during hibernation, and as high as 100 BPM whilst in a disturbed state.

BODY WORLDS & The Story of The Heart features more than 200 authentic specimens, including entire bodies, individual organs and transparent body slices. The exhibit is an unforgettable anatomy lesson that allows visitors to see and understand physiology and health and gain new appreciation and respect for what it means to be human. More than 29 million visitors around the world have experienced BODY WORLDS exhibitions.
Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS exhibitions are the original, precedent-setting public anatomical exhibitions of real human bodies, and the only anatomical exhibits that use donated bodies, willed by donors to the Institute for Plastination for the express purpose of serving the BODY WORLDS mission to educate the public about health and anatomy. To date, more than 10,000 people have agreed to donate their bodies to Institute for Plastination.

About the Ontario Science Centre:
The Ontario Science Centre opened on September 26, 1969, pioneering the concept of an interactive science museum. Since then, well over 44 million visitors have passed through its doors. It is a model for over two thousand science centres around the world that have been built since its inception. The Ontario Science Centre uses science as the lens to inspire and actively engage people in new ways of seeing, understanding and thinking about themselves and the world around them. The Ontario Science Centre is an agency of the Government of Ontario. Please visit us at www.ontariosciencecentre.ca

About National Bank of Canada:
National Bank of Canada, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2009, is an integrated group which provides comprehensive financial services to consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations in its core market, while offering specialized services to its clients elsewhere in the world. National Bank offers a full array of banking services, including retail, corporate and investment banking. It is an active player on international capital markets and, through its subsidiaries, is involved in securities brokerage, insurance and wealth management as well as mutual fund and retirement plan management. National Bank has to close to $135 million in assets and, together with its subsidiaries, employs 17, 772 people. The Bank's securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (NA:TSX). For more information, visit the Bank's website at www.nbc.ca
# # #
For more information, please contact:
BODY WORLDS: Media & Communications Manager, Mavis Harris, 416-696-3267 or m.harris(at)bw.plastination.com
-or-
OSC: Associate Director, Strategic Communications, Anna Relyea, 416.696.3273 or anna.relyea(at)osc.on.ca

BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart Opens at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science on March 12, 2010
All-new BODY WORLDS exhibition reveals the intricacies of the cardiovascular system

(Denver - January 7, 2010) Four years after BODY WORLDS 2 brought record crowds to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, a new blockbuster exhibition, BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart, will open to the public on March 12, 2010, with a special media preview on March 11. Tickets for the general public go on sale February 1 at dmns.org.

BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart, an all-new exhibition, will reveal-through the lenses of anatomy, cardiology, psychology and culture-how the heart nourishes, regulates and sustains life. The exhibition will give Museum visitors profound insight into the human body, health and disease, and the intricate world of the cardiovascular system. The exhibition will awe visitors with more than 200 human specimens, including whole-body plastinates, organs and translucent body slices.

BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart puts human anatomy in clear context. The exhibition is organized according to the major systems of the body, including the locomotive, nervous, reproductive, digestive and cardiovascular systems.

The striking whole-body plastinates in BODY WORLDS allow visitors to see inside the staggeringly complex and interconnected network of muscles, tendons and blood vessels that make up our bodies. The specimens on display reach the public through the Institute for Plastination body donation program: all of the donors agreed before their deaths that their bodies could be displayed for public education purposes. More than 10,000 individuals have bequeathed their bodies to Dr. Gunther von Hagens' Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany.

More than 687,000 visitors came to see BODY WORLDS 2 at the Museum during its 19-week run from March 10 to July 23, 2006, and the Museum broke the daily attendance records of all previous North American venues that hosted BODY WORLDS 2. Due to its popularity, the exhibition remained open for 64 consecutive hours during the final weekend in Denver, when nearly 30,000 people flocked to see the exhibition before it closed.

"This is a remarkable new opportunity for our community," said Dr. Bridget Coughlin, the Museum's vice president of strategic partnerships and programs and curator of human health. "Visiting BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart is a compelling experience that makes us appreciate the complexity and beauty of the human body. Not only is the exhibition awe-inspiring, it transforms us, increasing our understanding of health issues and motivating us to make healthier life choices. We anticipate tremendous interest in this exhibition. The response when we exhibited BODY WORLDS 2 was overwhelmingly positive, and the exhibition appealed to a diverse audience."

BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart will run from March 12 to July 18, 2010. The exhibition will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with extended hours from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets for the general public go on sale February 1 at dmns.org. General visitors pay $25.50 for adults, $16 for children/students (age 3-18 or with a student ID) and $19 for seniors (age 65+); this ticket price includes admission to both the Museum and the BODY WORLDS exhibition. The exhibition will be time-ticketed and advance reservations are strongly encouraged; the Museum anticipates that popular times will sell out. For additional information on pricing, including group rates and special extended hours rates, visit dmns.org.

Museum members receive first access to BODY WORLDS tickets, beginning January 7, and a discount of up to 52 percent on admission. Tickets for members are $12 for adults, $8 for children/students and $10 for seniors. For more information on membership, visit www.dmns.org/join.

About the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is the Rocky Mountain Region's leading resource for informal science education. A variety of engaging exhibits, discussions and activities help Museum visitors celebrate and understand the natural wonders of Colorado, Earth and the universe. The Museum is located at 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO, 80205. To learn more about the Museum, check www.dmns.org, or call 303-322-7009. Many of the Museum's educational programs and exhibits are made possible in part by generous funding from the citizens of the seven-county metro area through the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District.

About Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS
Dr. Gunther von Hagens invented Plastination in 1977, in an effort to improve the education of medical students. He created the BODY WORLDS exhibitions to bring anatomy to the public. Since 1995, 29 million people in Asia, Europe and North America have visited the BODY WORLDS exhibitions.

The organs and whole-body plastinates were derived from generous body donors, individuals who designated that upon their death their bodies could be used for educational purposes in the BODY WORLDS exhibitions. More than 10,000 donors have bequeathed their bodies to Dr. von Hagens' Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany, including 1,000 Americans. As of January 2010 there are forty-three donors from Colorado. For more information on BODY WORLDS, please visit www.bodyworlds.com

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For more information, please contact
Heather Hope, APR
Public Relations Manager
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
303-370-8372
heather.hope(at)dmns.org

BODY WORLDS ANATOMICAL EXHIBITIONS OF DONOR BODIES RECEIVES 28 MILLIONTH VISITOR.

Los Angeles – Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS, the original anatomical exhibitions of real human bodies received their 28 millionth visitor on Sunday, July 19th, 2009.  Now showing at museums around the world, the six editions of the exhibitions—curated ‘chapters’ from  anatomist, Dr. Gunther von Hagens’ “HUMAN SAGA” project—have broken attendance records at every stop of their international tour. 

The only anatomical exhibitions with an established body donation program, the exhibits have compelled legions of people around the world to participate in what the organizers call, a joint work.  “It is a collaboration between donor, anatomist, and visitor, some even agree it’s a joint quest towards enlightenment,” said Dr. Angelina Whalley, planner and designer of the exhibitions.

BODY WORLDS made its debut in Tokyo in 1995 and has toured more than 50 cities in Europe, Asia, and North America since then.  Visitor comment books inside the exhibitions, now numbered in the thousands, record a litany of thoughts  by the public about the post-mortal bodies on display. The musings run the gamut from simple to profound—observations about the function and form of the human body, resolutions about health, aspirations about life, debates on evolution vs. creationism,  meditations on death and dying, raging commentary about when life begins, religious musings, and spirited exchanges between pro-choice and pro-life visitors. “BODY WORLDS teaches visitors about the fragility and importance of the body and makes people aware of their own mortality. To my surprise, it also inadvertently inspires religious and philosophical reflection and insights,” said Dr. von Hagens.

The exhibitions are made possible by plastination, Dr. von Hagens’ patented invention for preserving anatomical specimens that allow them to be displayed outside a clinical setting.  “Every physician, at one time or another, is struck by the sheer elegance and intricacy of the human body.  But few laypersons get a chance to experience such wonder.  [BODY WORLDS] is a rare opportunity for the layperson to share in this privileged view of ourselves,” said Dr. Neil S. Wenger MD of UCLA Medical School after viewing the exhibit in Los Angeles.BODY WORLDS is currently showing in Berlin and Augsburg in Germany; Haifa, Israel; London, UK; and Buffalo, NY and San Diego, CA in the US.

Dr. von Hagens invented Plastination in  an effort to improve the education of medical students. He created BODY WORLDS to bring anatomy to the public.  For more information visit www.bodyworlds.com

The Ontario Science Centre to host BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart

Dr. Gunther von Hagens’ Exhibition Features Special Presentation on the Heart

(Toronto, ON, June 22, 2009) Four years after BODY WORLDS had its Canadian premiere and BODY WORLDS 2 brought record crowds to the Ontario Science Centre, a new blockbuster exhibition, BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart, will open to the public on October 9, 2009, with a special media preview on October 8.

BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart, an all-new exhibition, will reveal through the lenses of anatomy, cardiology, psychology and culture how the heart nourishes, regulates and sustains life. The exhibition will give Science Centre visitors a profound insight into the human body, health and disease, and the intricate world of the cardiovascular system. The exhibition will awe visitors with over 200 human specimens including whole-body plastinates, organs and translucent body slices.    

The striking whole-body plastinates in BODY WORLDS allow visitors to see inside the staggeringly complex and interconnected network of muscles, tendons and blood vessels that make up our bodies. The specimens on display come through the Institute for Plastination’s body donation program – all of the donors had agreed before their deaths that their bodies can be displayed for public education purposes. Sixty-eight Canadians have bequeathed their bodies to von Hagens’ Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany.

Nearly half a million visitors came to see BODY WORLDS 2 at the Science Centre during its five-month run from September 30, 2005 to February 26, 2006. Due to its popularity, doors remained open for 61 consecutive hours during the final weekend, when over 32,000 people flocked to see the exhibition before it closed.

“The response when we exhibited BODY WORLDS 2 previously was overwhelmingly positive. The exhibition appealed to a diverse array of audiences – adults interested in health issues, families wanting to learn more about the importance of healthy life choices and students visiting as part of a science, art or physical education class. Overwhelmingly, visitors to BODY WORLDS are filled with awe by the discovery of what they are inside,” said Lesley Lewis, CEO of the Ontario Science Centre. “BODY WORLDS invites you to see, with your own eyes, how intricately we are made; how powerful we are, and how fragile. Without question, this exhibition shows you in dramatic and tangible ways the differences between caring for and neglecting your body.”

BODY WORLDS puts human anatomy in clear context. BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart is organized according to the major systems of the body including the locomotive, nervous, reproductive, digestive and cardiovascular systems.

The exhibition will be time-ticketed, with tickets going on sale to the public June 29 at the box office and online. Science Centre members will be able to book through the call centre starting June 22, and will receive a discount of up to 47% on admission.

This exhibition has been financially assisted by the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, and through the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund of the Ministry of Culture, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.

About the Ontario Science Centre
The Ontario Science Centre opened on September 26, 1969, pioneering the concept of an interactive science museum. Since then, well over 40 million visitors have passed through its doors. It is a model for over 1,000 science centres around the world that have been built since its inception.

The Ontario Science Centre uses science as the lens to inspire and actively engage people in new ways of seeing, understanding and thinking about themselves and the world around them. The Ontario Science Centre is an agency of the Government of Ontario. Please visit us at www.ontariosciencecentre.ca

About Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS
Dr. Gunther von Hagens invented Plastination in 1977, in an effort to improve the education of medical students. He created the BODY WORLDS exhibitions to bring anatomy to the public.

The organs and whole-body plastinates in the exhibition derive from people who have, in their lifetime, generously donated their bodies for Plastination, to specifically educate future generations about health. More than 10,000 donors have bequeathed their bodies to von Hagens’ Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany. For more information on BODY WORLDS, please visit, www.bodyworlds.com

For more information please contact:
Anna Relyea
Associate Director, Strategic Communications
Ontario Science Centre
416-696-3273
anna.relyea(at)osc.on.ca

Christine CrosbieMedia Relations Officer
Ontario Science Centre
416-696-3191
christine.crosbie(at)osc.on.ca

Ellen Flowers
Media Relations Officer
Ontario Science Centre
416-696-3154
ellen.flowers(at)osc.on.ca

BUFFALO MUSEUM OF SCIENCE TO HOST MOST SUCCESSFUL TRAVELING EXHIBIT EVERBODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart Opens July 9

BUFFALO, NY (May 20, 2009) -- Beginning July 9, Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart, the international traveling exhibition by pioneering scientist, Dr. Gunther von Hagens, will open for the first time in New York at the Buffalo Museum of Science for a limited engagement. The exhibition is presented by BlueCrossBlueShield of Western New York and M&T Bank.

BODY WORLDS will include more than 200 specimens. More than 27 million visitors in 47 cities around the world, including the major capitals of Europe have seen BODY WORLDS since its debut in 1995.

“We are delighted that Buffalo will join the ranks of world class cities that have presented BODY WORLDS. It is an educational, scientific, and cultural experience thatwe wished to bring to our community, “said Mark Mortenson, CEO and president of the Buffalo Museum of Science. “Western New York wants, and deserves, the same type of world-class, educational and cultural opportunities as other major world cities.”

Tickets
Tickets for BODY WORLDS at the Buffalo Museum of Science are available immediately at www.sciencebuff.org, by calling (877) 687-3359, or at the museum box office during regular business hours (Wednesday – Saturday 10-5 p.m. Sunday Noon – 5 p.m.).
General Admission prices are $22.00 for adults (ages 19-61); $19.50 for seniors (62+); and $16.00 for children 3 to 18 and students and military with ID.
Special rates for Museum Members as well as schools and other groups of 15 or more apply.

About the Exhibition
BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart is organized according to the major systems o fthe body, including the locomotive, nervous, reproductive, digestive and cardiovascular systems.
The exhibit also features a special presentation on the heart, revealing through the lenses of anatomy, cardiology, psychology and culture how this four-chambered muscle nourishes, regulates and sustains life. Through the life-like and dramatic poses of full-body specimens and detailed presentation of organs and body parts, guests gain profound insights into the structure and function of healthy and unhealthy bodies.

BODY WORLDS specimens, both organs and whole-bodies, have undergone Plastination—Dr. von Hagens’ groundbreaking method of halting decomposition and preserving the body after death for medical study, which he invented in 1977. During Plastination, all bodily fluids and soluble fats are replaced with reactive resins and
elastomers such as silicon rubber and epoxy resins, through a vacuum process. After gas, heat, or light curing, the specimens assume rigidity and permanence.“The purpose of Plastination from its very inception was a scientific one, to educate medical students,” said Dr. von Hagens. “But the interest that laypeople had in the
plastinated specimens inspired me to think of creating public exhibitions, which was followed by the realization that I had to offer a heightened sense of aesthetics, to avoid shocking the public and to capture their imagination.”

The striking whole-body plastinates in BODY WORLDS—people who in their lifetimes donated their bodies for Plastination for the express purpose of educating future generations about health—allow viewers to see inside the staggeringly complex and interconnected network of muscles, tendons and blood vessels that make up our bodies. More than 10,000 people have donated their bodies to Dr. von Hagens Institute for Plastination, 950 of them from North America.

"BODY WORLDS is a collaboration, a joint quest towards enlightenment between donor,anatomist, and visitor,” said Dr. von Hagens.

For more information about the exhibit, buying tickets, planning your visit, volunteer activities,field trips, private events and group sales, please visit www.sciencebuff.org.

About the Buffalo Museum of Science
The Buffalo Museum of Science is the non-profit educational institution dedicated to the study and interpretation of the natural and physical sciences. Its extensive collections of over 600,000 specimens and artifacts represent all facets of the natural world with an emphasis on Western New York as well as man-made objects spanning the globe. Based at 1020 Humboldt Parkway and anchoring Buffalo’s East Side in Olmsted-designed Martin Luther King, Jr. Park since 1929, the Museum presents a wide variety of programs and services for children, teachers, families, adults, and community organizations throughout each year. The Museum also operates Tifft Nature Preserve in South Buffalo, a 264-acre urban wetland preserve on reclaimed former industrial landand seasonally sponsors archaeological exploration at the Hiscock Site in nearby Genesee County, NY, one of North America’s richest Ice Age sites.

For further information on the Museum and its upcoming activities, call 716-896-5200 or visit www.buffalomuseumofscience.org.

Press Information:
Amy Biber
Buffalo Museum of Science
Marketing Manager
716.896.5200 x312
abiber(at)sciencebuff.org

GUNTHER VON HAGENS’ BODY WORLDS AND KÖRPERWELTEN –
NOT AFFILIATED WITH PARIS COPYCAT DISPLAY.

Heidelberg, Germany, April 21, 2009

The Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany and its Scientific Director, anatomist Dr. Gunther von Hagens—creators of the world renowned anatomical exhibitions: BODY WORLDS and KÖRPERWELTEN—categorically state that their exhibitions are NOT in any way associated with or affiliated to OUR BODY, the display in Paris which has been ordered by the French court to close its doors to the public.

In the last twenty four hours, French and other media have mistakenly referred to and referenced Dr. Gunther von Hagens and BODY WORLDS, when reporting on the French judicial ruling banning the display in Paris. Media coverage of the ban confuses the public by referring to BODY WORLDS when discussing the copycat in Paris, and illustrating news articles with images from BODY WORLDS.

Dr. von Hagens says: “I have been an anatomist for more than thirty five years, and during my career I have taken great pains to present anatomical exhibitions in the tradition of Renaissance anatomy.  The exhibitions that bear my name are Western scientific enquiries that are bound by inviolable European standards of human rights and ethics. My exhibitions only use donor bodies, primarily German, from the Heidelberg Institute for Plastination’s Body Donation Program.   BODY WORLDS is not affiliated or connected in any way to the cadaver display in Paris.”

    For more than five years, a number of businessmen attempting to imitate Dr. von Hagens’ publicly and critically acclaimed exhibitions, have roamed the globe with cadaver displays of unclaimed and found bodies from China.  Several of the copycat displays have drawn criticism from ethicists, human rights organizations, and religious groups due to the absence of evidence showing body donation and legal consent of those on display.

Laogai Research Foundation, an agency in Washington DC that monitors and documents human rights violations in China has frequently declared its concerns, over the use of unclaimed and found Chinese bodies in copycat displays, to the New York Times and other media.  The subject was most recently explored in an investigation by American television network, ABC’s  award-winning 20/20 news program.  http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4296982&page=1

The Institute for Plastination and Dr. von Hagens reiterate that they are not associated to the display in Paris facing a ban ruled by the French court. “As a former political prisoner in East Germany, I believe firmly in the principles of democracy, freedom, and free will.  Thus from the beginning of my career, when I established the only body donation program for Plastination in the world, I felt morally obligated to the doctrine of legal consent for those on public display.  It is imperative that the media and public of Paris and France know that I am not associated with the cadaver display in Paris, and that any reports suggesting otherwise are false.”

For more information, please visit www.bodyworlds.com.